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Based on information provided from a number of sources, including the Panasonic press release for their prototype Ultra HD Blu-ray player, and statements from Victor Matsuda and Dan Schinasi (both representing the Blu-ray Disc Association) it appears that the technical details of the new UHD Blu-ray Disc format are starting to become more clear. Below is a summary of what we have learned, so far (assuming the information from the above sources is correct and does not change as the Ultra HD Blu-ray standard is finalized):
- use dual layer 66 GB discs or triple layer 100 GB discs (compared to HD Blu-ray’s 25 GB and 50GB discs)
- support multiple color gamuts up to and including the extremely wide Rec. 2020 (the UHD Blu-ray standand will probably specifically identify Rec. 709, DCI-P3, and Rec. 2020 as valid color gamuts – my opinion)
- will use a nominal/minimum bit depth of 10-bit and the standard will allow for up to a 16-bit depth to be used
- will support up to 100 Mbps data rate for the recordings
- discs will use H.265/HEVC for the encoding (given the above max. allowed characteristics that means version 2 of H.265 standard will be used rather than ver. 1 as used by the 4K streaming services)
- will support 3D as an option (basically what we have now with HD Blu-ray players where entry level models are not required to support 3D and discs can support 3D as an option)
Later this year, Netflix will introduce a new way to stream videos, and I was lucky enough to get a private demo at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
Netflix is calling this new, higher-quality streaming "HDR," which stands for high dynamic range, a term that is most common in photography.
Once Netflix officially launches HDR streaming, Netflix will "talk" to your TV, checking to see whether your TV is equipped for HDR. Your TV will enable the feature and handle all the HDR processing, so you won't have to worry about Netflix being slower just so you can see some extra color. Netflix truly looks spectacular in HDR, and it might even persuade me to upgrade to a fancy 4K TV once the service launches later this year.
According to Akamai’s most recent State of the Internet report, just 19 percent of U.S. homes had “4K-ready” connection speeds of 15Mbps or greater....
The good news is you may not need to upgrade your service to get smooth 4K streaming. Beamr, a post-encoding video-optimization service, is working with movie studios and streaming providers to chop 4K video bitrates by 40 percent. Beamr claims it can whittle 4K video down to a 9.5Mbps stream, making it easier for networks to handle the load. It works with HEVC-encoded video, and the company demoed its bitrate-shaving work at CES. The technology will be used in a new 4K partnership with M-Go—a service that’s only be available on Samsung’s 4K sets...
Although Ultra HD Blu-ray players and discs will start shipping this summer, the BDA did not give any indication of what such products might cost, or which companies will be offering the technology. Still, expect big companies like Sony, Samsung and Fox to get in on the action sooner rather than later.